Netflix recently added a film to its repertoire that every human, dog, cat or even a lizard should grace with their eyeballs, The Shawshank Redemption. A story of humanistic capabilities forming in the rawest and preconceived savage place a person can resign for their tenure of existence, prison. This movie is placed number one of IMDB’s Top 250 movies. The Shawshank Redemption is a captivating tale that should be a right of passage, themes of freedom, hope, tyranny and good compile to make a human experience in the prison Shawshank.

The movie opens with the trial of Andy Dufresne (Tim Robbins). Dufresne is on trial for the potential murder of his wife and the man whom she was to leave him for. All evidence points to the defendant Dufresne but he continues to plead his innocence despite the obvious conviction. He is sentenced to two life sentences for each person he allegedly murdered. Dufresne is sent to Shawshank prison and that is where man becomes trapped from hope, and any thoughts of redemption. The prison is then introduced by the narration of a voice that is so smooth I can’t believe it’s not butter, Morgan Freeman’s character Red. Red is a long time prisoner of Shawshank who was convicted of murder, he is also known to find things from time to time. The first interaction between the two really wasn’t one at all. The prisoners have a tradition of betting on the new crop of prisoners that arrive at Shawshank, specifically who will cry during the first night. Red places a bet on Dufresne. The bet doesn’t bode well for Red, because Dufresne never cracks. A large man ends up cracking and pleads his innocence by wailing and crying that he should not be there. Captain Hadley loses his cool and ends up beating the man to death for his outcrys. This is Shawshank prison, a person is sent there to die, either their soul or by blunt force.

The movie unfolds to be a continual and relentless grind for Dufresne. Nothing seems to go his way or if it does it doesn’t last long. He has hope and passion, something Shawshank wants to diminish and suppress to oblivion. All Dufresne can do is just that, hope, even if it does get him in trouble, it is the only facet to achieve redemption. To watch this movie is to go through an experience, live vicariously through Dufresne. What would I do? How would I respond to this adversity? Would I have folded or held my head up strong? People go through experiences differently; the story of prison is one that holds true to this rule. The perseverance Dufresne displays is contagious; his feathers are just too bright.

Final Score: Find this in your Netflix library just like Red would